


Diamonds in the Rough, Bulls at the Gates

by CasterMoon



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga), 僕のヒーローアカデミア | Boku no Hero Academia | My Hero Academia
Genre: Adventure, Adventure & Romance, Bakugou Katsuki Swears A Lot, Bakugou Katsuki is Bad at Feelings, Black Bulls Squad (Black Clover), Black Clover Spoilers, Bottom Asta (Black Clover), Bottom Todoroki Shouto, Boys In Love, Canon Compliant, Canon Universe, Class 1-A Shenanigans (My Hero Academia), Crossover, Denki Kaminari - Freeform, Eijiro Kirishima - Freeform, Epic in length, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Fumikage Tokoyami - Freeform, Gay, Gay Sex, Golden Dawn Squad, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Torture, Koji Kota - Freeform, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Midoriya Izuku Needs A Hug, Midoriya Izuku Needs Therapy, Midoriya Izuku is a Good Friend, Multiple Personalities, My Hero Academia Spoilers, Nine Honored Virtues, No Beta, Oblivious Asta (Black Clover), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Powerful Midoriya Izuku, Protective Bakugou Katsuki, Protective Class 1-A (My Hero Academia), Protective Midoriya Izuku, Protective Todoroki Shouto, Revenge, Search For Identity, Seven Deadly Sins, Slow Burn, Social Issues, Todoroki Shouto is a Good Friend, Top Asta (Black Clover), Top Yuno (Black Clover), Toru Hagakure - Freeform, Tragedy, diamond kingdom, katsuki bakugou - Freeform, momo yaoyorozu - Freeform, mostly - Freeform, ochako uraraka - Freeform, seven devils
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-02
Updated: 2020-11-10
Packaged: 2021-03-05 20:34:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25661452
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CasterMoon/pseuds/CasterMoon
Summary: Nearly all men can face adversity, if you want to test a man’s character, give him power. It’s easy to face the darkness in the world then close your eyes and let it in. Listening to hollow promises and depraved whispers that soothe the carnal hunger beneath the surface. It’s much harder to stand in defiance of it. Blazing brighter in the mire and restoring the lost and the broken. So when Power is placed before you and you cannot run from its hold, what will you choose, Heroes?  Will you heed the lessons of the virtues deep within or let the devil’s lies tempt you to vengeful sin?
Relationships: Asta (Black Clover)/Midoriya Izuku, Todoroki Shouto/ Yuno
Comments: 4
Kudos: 23





	1. Escape

**Author's Note:**

  * For [My Prince](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=My+Prince).



> Hello,
> 
> This story is an idea that has been bouncing around in my head since I saw some fan art of members of class 1-A as Magic Knights. This story takes place in the Black Clover universe and only some characters from My Hero Academia will be crossing over. The story is mostly PG-13 with some graphic violence and referenced trauma. There will be additional tags on chapters with explicit content but that wont happen for a while. This story is also meant to be a present to a friend of mine. Hope you enjoy it my Prince if your reading it! I love both of these fandoms, and I feel that Black clover isn't represented enough. That said, I am not a very good writer and have no beta for this so please pardon errors. I will try to do my best though. Always enjoy comments. If you like it don't forget to drop a kudos and subscribe this is intended to be a long one. Lastly I wouldn't be attempting writing anymore if it weren't for my friends Tanithiaria and ResonantStrategist. They both write for the My Hero Fandom and you should definitely check out there stories. so go ahead and look them up in the search bar. You can come back and read my stuff later. Their stuff is soooooo good!

(Shoto’s POV)

They say virtue is not left to stand alone. That even when the darkness reaches to smother the light within, others will rise in its defense joining together to blaze the brighter.

Whoever ‘they’ is, they lied.

I cursed again as I stumbled, my foot snagged on a root, falling to the forest floor in a roll before quickly standing up with a wince and looking for my charge, my world.

I spotted the tuft of green hair behind a fern and quickly moved to check on him. He was still breathing and still unconscious. The freckles on his face popped against ghostly flesh that bubbled with sweat even in the shadowed twilight. The fever was getting worse.

An explosion shook the ground in the rose light of the setting sun. I heard shouting and curses and it spurred me on. There was no time

‘Escape now. Worry later.’ I thought.

We had been running for days dodging patrols and getting very little sleep.

Well mainly myself and General Kruger that is. I suppose it’s Ex-General now though. Izuku had been unconscious and running a high fever since Kruger sprung us out three days ago. I had been carrying him on my back bound in a leather bundle with just his head exposed.

Another boom and the sound of splintering of wood could be heard even closer than before. I cursed as I scooped him up again and winced at the pressure on my leg. I took another step anyway forcing myself to run.

We were so close, so very close.

If only I hadn't screwed up. The freedom we longed for, the escape into the wide world far from the pain and nightmare we were growing up in that dank dungeon as lab rats for the conquests of vile men, would have already been reached.

Sensei had asked one thing of me. Keep my magic contained. Now that I was different. Altered. It would be two easy for them to track us by our mana. Even though it was painful I had to contain it within. No matter what.

But I slipped up.

It had been a half a day since we had seen the last patrol. Their movements and reactions had been just as the general had predicted. I started to relax slightly and my mind drifted to my plans of what to do next. Where would we hide in the Clover kingdom? How would I get Izuku help once we got across the border? What was even wrong with him? What was I going to do?

I was so lost in my thoughts and stressed that I stopped suppressing my mana.

Just in time to be flung out of the way of a rock lance by the general who screamed at me to run for it.

The death squad had found us. All because I was careless.

I didn't have time to really think and I was too tired too as I ran towards the border. It was only a couple miles left.

That wouldn't stop them from pursuing us. It wouldn't be the first time that the Diamond Kingdom military had ignored the boundaries along the border. But once across the Clover magic knights would be provoked. And then, then we might have a chance.

I didn't have time to feel guilty, not really but I did. If I had just done as the general asked, we would have all made it, and now he was back there taking them on himself to give me time to make a mistake.

“I'm sorry, Sensei. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry,” I muttered like a mantra as I continued to limp.

I was starting to get dizzy from the pain and from the stress of the last few days but I pressed on. If i could just get beyond this rise i should be able to see it. I couldn't use any magic or they would find us and Sensei’s sacrifice would be for nothing.

It was ironic really. I was one of my kingdom's nobility and then when I wasn't good enough I became an experiment for my nation's prosperity and if it wasn't for that I never would have met my reason for living.

I never would have met Izuku.

It wasn't long after my processing after my father handed me over to those sociopaths in disgust that I met him all those years ago.

Even as I ran, my mind was filled with the brightness of his smile and the thrill of his laugh.

“Hold on Izu, I'm almost there, I promise. He will be free and I will save you. Just like I promised.”

A brief flash of his screams echoed in my memory after they took him away days ago.

After the final test where I was commanded to kill him.

After we refused trying to kill ourselves they intervened, locking me in our cell and taking him to some lab. It couldn't have been more than 30 meters away, I don't know what they did to him or why. But I heard it all. All the screaming and pleading to stop echoed in my fogged mind. All I knew is Sensei freed me with him already bundled, placed me on his back and said it was time to run.

My scar throbbed and I staggered, gripping my face. My head aches as the specific memories of what happened were fuzzy and unclear. It was so hard to suppress my mana. It was like ants crawling inside my skin, searching for a way out. The fatigue from my own torture and treatment sinking its teeth in as my vision blurred.

“No. No, take another step. When you can't run, walk. If you can't walk, crawl. Don't stop. Can't stop.” I chant the word Izuku and I would say to each other everyday before our “training”.

I breached the top of a hill and could see in the last rays of the evening twilight of the village in the clover kingdom in the distance, like a lighthouse guiding my safety. I knew the border lied between us and the light but I couldn't stop there.

That's when a wall of smoke rose in front of me, and the light I chased was gone.

“I thought it was too obvious for you to take the valley route. Damn I just had to be right.”

I panicked as my head turned back even as my legs shook. ‘No how? There is no way they could have known.”

There stood one of the eight Shining Generals Lotus Whomalt himself. His shoulder length black wave hair was a bit frazzled and his cape and tunic ahd tears and holes in it no doubt from confronting Sensei. His face was somber as he stroked his beard goatee but otherwise he was relaxed and not aggressive. I knew better though.

“Now, don't look at me like that. I didn't exactly want to find you but you don't live as long as i have without learning a thing or two. Like trusting your gut. Or following orders.”

My glare intensified and I snarled, clutching the wrapped form of my best friend close to my chest.

I didn't have the strength to put up a fight and he knew it but I wasn't about to go down without trying.

He sighed, “I don't suppose there's a chance of you coming along quietly, is there? For the sake of my daughters I can't let you go. Not without a valid excuse at least. It’s not like I like listening to that villain in glasses but I don't have much of a choice.” I stalked forward casually as he blathered on with his excuses. In another time I probably could have sympathized but I wasn't in a place where I could think clearly and even if I could I didn't care. This man was in the way of me saving my friend and that meant he was the enemy.

“There is always a choice,” I growled in my hoarse voice.

He stopped his approach as if struck by what I said. I didn't much care as I worked on trying to figure out a way to escape. “Aye there is indeed, and all I can do is ask that you forgive me for choosing the lives of my daughters over your freedom.”

Smoke magic: Binding Cross prison

He said and the wall of smoke morphed at the silvery flair of this grimoire and wove into smoky ethereal chains and lashed out to ensnare me. I knew there was much hope of remaining undetected. So I reacted.

“Flame magic: Crimson Flower Bud,” I muttered and felt a pang pulse through my body as it grew heavy. The tax of spending magic only just breaches the cost of suppressing its ambient flow through me.

Around me four curtains of flame rose from my feet curved like giant flower petals yet to bloom to form a wall to block the smoky bindings, at least that's what I had hoped.

Instead, the flame cowered at the ashen tendrils.

“Sorry kid but our magic is a bad match.” The old man called out as he casually leaned against a tree without a care in the world.

The movement I felt the pressure of his spell touch my skin, I panicked. And when I saw the chains try to circle Izuku I became desperate. My hair bellowed and my breath chilled as my grimoire flipped to a new page. A page in the white half of the piecemeal book.

My mind whispherd with a breath, ‘Ice magic: Flash freeze.’

I shouted in agony as my body collapsed from the drain and the pain. But I was free, Izuku was still free and his spell was destroyed.

“How interesting? You truly are strong to be able to use magic in your state. Your mother would be proud. Perhaps your father too. But really the more you resist the more of a chance you have risking your own health and that of your friends. We were instructed to retrieve you alive and undamaged please don’t make this harder than it has to be,” Lotus said striding towards me a the pages of his book turning,

“Don't mention her” I growled “We won't …… go back….. I’ll fight you …. every step. And one day we will return to repay that man for all he has done to us and free the people of the Diamond forever!”

Mana billowed out of me as I called on the last of my strength. It figured my father's magic would fail me, his bloodline was like poison itching beneath my skin I could never be rid of. It was my mother's power, from her own grimoire that would save me now.

I concentrated with everything I had left. Remembering her soft smile and gentle touch. The kiss she placed on my scar as her tears dropped on my face when my father took us away. I remembered her last, ‘I love you.’ I remembered finding her goodness in Izuku, that sweet comfort I missed. I remembered the promise we made to live our lives together, to be the heroes that made the Diamond kingdom a treasure again. To enjoy a sunny summer day by the river together.

But when I went to call on my spell, a sudden exhaustion came over me.

“You really are a man of virtue. It's such a shame that that means nothing in battle.”

I started to cough when I realised that my vision was blurring. I was having difficulty breathing and all the mana I had gathered was dissipating.

“Smoke magic: Smoke Garden of Usurpation. It takes a minute to work so I've been having you breathe it in since we started talking. I really am sorry kid. For what it's worth I hope you can achieve your dream someday if you ever get another chance.”

I felt my magic fail and the binding reach me as my mind fogged over.

“Please, don't. Please.'' I begged half out of my mind. I was quickly losing consciousness the toll final being payed for all the pressure I had put my body under recently

There wasn't any more I could give not in this state.

As my knees hit the ground in front of Izuku I heard him groan and murmur “Shoto?”

“I’m sorry Izuku.” I muttered in reply as my eyes unwillingly fell closed.

“HaaaH!’ a shout in a voice I didn't recognize called out from somewhere next to me followed by cursing from Lotus. I felt the presence of something, something large, but I had no idea what it was or how to process it. It was just a presence. But my senses were too distorted to make sense of what it was. The bindings vanished as my vision started to go black. I was falling forward, my arms had already gone limp, but I never heard Izuku hit the ground.

I felt my head hit someone's shoulder. At least I thought it was a shoulder. The last words I heard from that new voice before darkness finally claimed me were.

“It’s ok, I got you. You are safe now. Kachan’s got you.”

xXx

(Izuku and Friends POV)

Everything was dark. Dark and cold

The ground was hard beneath me like floor of my cell back in the dungeon.

Right? I had been in a dungeon.

A flash of pain spread down from my chest into my arms and they contracted reflexively.

Memories foggy of the leather straps gripping my arms and a pinch in my arms raced in front my eyes.

I remembered a man whose face was shadowed standing over me with a wide smile. Light glinting off his glasses and the glow of purple symbols all around us.

He reached his hand into me.

I screamed and the images stopped.

I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see nothing, just more nothing.

They grew louder and closer like boots striking stone and then they stopped. The sound was so close I felt I could reach my hand out and touch it.

Silence lasted a moment before my curiosity and need for answers overcame my fear and I reached out.

“Oi” a voice said tense with anger. It was gruff and gravely with an aggression that made me flinch back.

I still couldn’t see anything. But I didn’t have to wait long.

“How long are you going to wait, Izuku?” The voice asked harshly.

“W-what?”

“How long are you going to fucking wait before you get up off you ass and destroy them?”

“”D-destroy who? I don't want to destroy anyone? I-i’m sorry I'm just trying to find Shoto.”

The voice growled in apparent annoyance, “Have you forgotten everything you learns? Fucking hell know how your even alive now? Use your damn magic moron!”

Use it? Use it for what? Then it occurred to me what the voice meant.

I closed my eyes though it didn't make much of a difference and pulled on the mana within me as I had done so many times. For whatever reason I had always had a lot of it and it flowed in and out of me with ease. It always calmed me growing up. The more I did this, the more I learned that the flow of magic could be read. It’s patterns and movements reacted to what was around me. With this the world was open to me.

Just as before the world came alive and when I opened my eyes again I could see.  
I was on the floor in the middle of an octagonal room that seemed made entirely stone. Each wall had a door of different design and color. And standing in front of me was a tall blond headed boy with red angry eyes and a snarl on his face.

He wore a black sleeveless shirt and black pants. The door behind him was open and looked lite it was made of some sort of black iron it bolts heavy and thick. His face morphed from a snarl to a look of disgust as he clenched his fist.

“I don’t know how someone as fucking pathetic as you survive. I shouldn't even have to tell you to use magic in your own head dumb ass. Look out there.” The blond pointed up and when I looked to the ceiling I saw Shoto wrapped in smoke chains begging someone to stop.

“Shoto!” I shouted and looked around for a way to get up. “Hold on I'm coming!”

I frantically looked around the room trying to figure something out while the blond headed boy just stood and watched his face get angrier by the second.

“He’s out side idiot this is your mind you just have to wake the fuck up and blow those guys away.” He clenched his fists and yelled at me raising his fist.

“But i don’t know how to do that.” Suddenly I felt my arms grow very heavy and my vision blurred a bit. “I -I don't feel right.”

I could see a mist forming in my mind and my body started to sway. I looked at the blond boy as he looked around in what seemed like some level of panic before looking over at.

“It's that fuckers magic don't let it get to you! Damn it you’re useless. How helpless can you be. Fight damn it! Wake up!”

I fell to my knees and exhaustion seeped into me as my eyes grew heavy. “I-i can’t…”

The blond face was shadowed for a second before I heard the unmistakable sound of popping coming from his hands.

“You disgust me. Your friend is in trouble and you don't have the resolve to fight for him. I don't get why the other begged me to help you. You are nothing but a useless shell and a coward. A fucking Deku.” At the time I could barely process what he was saying and didn't have the time to really respond before he turned slightly as if talking to someone not there.

“Don’t any of you ungrateful bastards bother me again with this loser. I don't want anything to do with such a pathetic coward and you shouldn’t either. I'm saving the host and that all.” He turned and lowered the arm he had been pointing before stalking over to me and grabbed my face. “And I don't plan to be gentle about it.”

I felt his hand grow hot and then my chest hurt again and I got a spiking headache before everything went dark again and I felt no more.

The last thing he saw was the ceiling change to the image of a frightened old man with shoulder length black hair backing away from Izuku’s own raised hand.

xXx


	2. Burning

Hey guys here is another unbeta'd chapter hope you enjoy it. If you enjoy this story or just want a safe place to hang out with people like you and all sorts of other fandoms check out the new discord! <https://discord.gg/fHjGxfpTuF>

Ch-2 Burning  
  
(Asta’s Pov)  
  
The day started fairly normal. Well as normal as things  
  
It had been an exhilarating and exhausting few days for me. I had my first real mission as a magic knight and got to test my abilities to protect the people of the kingdom. Sadly though I wasn't about to protect everyone. Magna was still recovering from the loss of his old man. I couldn’t blame him either. It was frustrating to remember just how powerless I had been. I wasn’t strong enough or quick enough. The ice wizard was just too strong if it hadn't been for all of use working together we wouldn't have survived and those people would be dead.  
  
Because of the situation, Captain Yami had given us some time off and since I was still healing I was ordered not to do any strenuous training. Of course I didn't really want to agree at first, but the captain is rather persuasive. My skull is still sore from where his hand gripped me.

Even though I had been ordered against training. I couldn't bring myself to be idle. Sure there were the chores in the hideout but I had done all of those by ten in the morning like normal and still I just couldn't sit still.  
  
The old man often told me that I needed to learn to let go of what I can't control. Something about finding peace in the moment, but Yuno would just laugh and said “Asta’s heart is too strong for his body to ignore. When it demands a wrong righted his body can’t help but follow the order.”  
  
We were younger sure, and it was back when I still had hope of getting magic, but those words had meant so much to me. I had always been able to rely on Yuno and now I needed to make sure he could rely on me. 

It didn't take much convincing surprisingly. Noelle for all of her weird moods and slightly classist views didn’t even bat an eye as she agreed to take my back to the village. IT seemed that the weight of what happened was weighing on her as well.  
  
It wasn’t until we went to leave that it became very apparent that we hadn’t completely thought this through. Which of course Noelle blamed on me and honestly she wasn’t really exaggerating this time even if she was still embarrassed.  
  
Neither of us could fly a broom. 

Honestly I was used to not being able to but since this was a skill that almost every mage had and could do it was a large source of embarrassment for the white haired princess.  
  
Which I was reminded of when she blasted me with a ball of water.  
  
Thankfully big Finral happened to pop in back from the capital at that moment. After a fair bit of whining, begging and a bit of baiting, he never could resist the promise of meeting girls, he agreed to take us to the village until sunset.  
  
So in a flash of silvery mist we arrived back in Rayaka village, i didn't really know what specifically I wanted to do while I was here. I just knew that I wouldn't have peace until I helped those I could.  
  
We were of course noticed immediately as several of the villagers ran up to great us. It was impossible to ignore tha warm feeling that filled my chest at seeing their excited and thankful faces. It was a relief to see that rather than the terror from days ago. Beyond that, in a selfish part of myself, it was another vote of confidence that I was moving forward. I could achieve my dream. I may have a long way to go but I saved these people with the help of my comrades. I kept them safe.  
  
I went with the men that were working on repairs around the village eager to help. Of course my enthusiasm wasn't quite enough to make up for my complete lack of knowledge when it comes to construction. I did get to make use of all my training though in moving supplies and helping with chores.  
  
At some point Noelle went off to entertain the children which I almost made the mistake of teasing her for. After all, she was not someone i imagined caring for kids, but honestly i didn't really know what to make of her as i had gotten to know her over the past few days. I was thankful that she seemed more tolerant of my presence now though.  
  
We worked for a few hours and it was a preaching dusk when out of nowhere the villagers in unison all paused what they were doing. The men gulped and shook and then looked at each other in confusion “do you guys feel that.” One said before in the distance toward the border near the border explosions rocked the countryside. I had no idea what they were talking about before the explosions started. I turned immediately when I heard the booms and as I squinted in the evening dusk I could see what looked like a blast of a volcano billow out from the trees in the distance.  
  
“That's at the border with Diamond country! Do you think they are invading?” One of the men asked next to me clearly fearful as everyone stood watching the battle take place in the distance.  
  
‘ _Diamond country,_ ” I thought. I vaguely knew about our neighbors but not much else. Evidently I voiced my question allowed because the man responded. “Yes they border us to the east and are very militant. I’m not sure why they are always picking fights with us in Clover kingdom but in any case they are usually repelled by the border patrol but we saw them fly by hours ago. So I don’t know who’s fighting down there.”

I sprung into action before he even had finished speaking.  
  
“Finral!” I called out as I watched more towers of fire and some fanged creature made of smoke try to snap at something before another pillar of flame blew it apart.

My squad mate was nearby as he saw me running toward the fight even though it was still a great distance away.  
  
“Asta what are you-” He called breaking out of dumb shock looking in the direction of the disturbance.

“Send me there.” I yelled out in a full sprint.

“Don't be a fool! We should wait for backup!” He shouted at me shaking.

“There’s no time. Whoever is there may need out help. Noelle’s a royal isn’t she, take her to the capital to get help If you have to, just get me over there there isn't time!” I don’t know why I was feeling it but I was, this gnawing need to be there.

“Asta can’t you feel it? There is so much magic there it's suffocating even from this distance there is no way you’ll survive. Look at me I’m shaking,” He holds up his arms in a complete sweat. 

“I'm going senpai, with or without your help!” I yelled back, turning to watch where I was going. It was going to take me a while to get there.

At the mention of the honorific it's like Finral’s resistance became disarmed. “Alright fine but don’t blame me if you get yourself killed. Just hold out until help comes!” He said groaning as he opened up a portal. “Captain Yami is going to kill us for this!”

Which honestly the way the captain was, there was a distinct possibility of that being true. The image of the hulking man’s menacing glare sent a shiver down my spine.

Regardless, I ran forward. My grimoire responded to my call even as I jumped through the portal that was opened for me. Silvery white consumed me and then in the next second I was falling into a tree.  
  
‘Damn it Finral,’ I said in my head as I braced myself for landing in the canopy. Thankfully the first two branches I hit were thick enough to slow me enough to react and I grabbed one before falling the rest of the way.  
  
With a groan I pulled myself up and tried to take in my surroundings. It was clear I had been sent to the edge of the border as I looked back out through the canopy toward the village bracing myself on a tree. 

And then I felt it.

A vibration like the shiver you get after stepping out of the bath water in winter. A hu was in the air. Was this what people called the feeling of magic. It just felt like normal stuff to me. Though it wasn't very comfortable. The air was warm and the sky was hazy. Which made sense given what i had witnessed from the village but beyond that there was something else affecting everything.  
  
Everything was shaking slightly, the leaves, the boulders, even the air. And so I turned pulling my sword from my book. And that's when I saw the otherside.  
  
Fire was everywhere again not surprising. What was thought was finding at the center of what looked to be a giant flaming craters a completely untouched patch of forest where a boy that looked to be around my age was lying clearly injured. His face was scared and his clothes were torn and worn. But what took the bulk of my attention was the boy floating above him, or at least I think he was floating.

About thirty feet above the scarred boy was another boy about my height with continuous busts of flame coming from his feet that kept him aloft.

Outstretched in front of him was an arm sporting some serious burns. All across his exposed back and chest that was sporting muscles similar to mine indicating a lot of physical training were bruises and cuts and even some burn marks. The damage I knew had to be severe. And yet the only thing on the boy's face was a smirk as he gazed across the clearing and a man that bore the diamond crest on what remained of his robes.  
  


The men's black hair was disheveled and he was panting heavily clutching a severely burned arm and sporting several bruises. He looked a mix of panicked and determined which is a combination that is difficult to describe. 

If either had noticed me at the moment, they didn't show it.  
  
The black haired man flung his hand forward and his grimoire flipped rapidly before glows and a towering wall of smoke sixty feet high rose and he tried to run to the left. At the angle he was running it was evident he was trying to disengage.  
  
“Come on is that all you got? Surely you have more to show me. The fun has just started and you keep trying to leave.” A harsh raspy voice yelled out across the battlefield as a giant pillar of flame exploded from the ground in front of the man.  
  
He jumped back and another pillar blasted through his smoke wall as if it were nothing that there. His smoke whirled around him trying to protect him from the blast but he was knocked back into a tree and the impact jarred him as he slumped breathing heavily.  
  
I looked back at the boy that was now floating over to him and to my surprise and horror I could see new burns forming on his body as if he was the one taking the blows. But He didn't seem to mind. His wide grin looked manic as he snarled.  
  
“You are going to regret chasing us. I’ll make you regret ever being born. Listen to you scream for forgiveness and release while you burn away to ashes. You’ll become just like the toxic fumes you command.” He floated closer lowering himself as the burns continued to spread.  
  
“Go ahead beg. Let me hear you apologize for everything.”

“I’m- sorry.” The man muttered through his pants.

“I can't hear you,” the boy sneered.

“I wasn’t…. apologizing…. to you. just … my family.”

The boys sneering smirk turned into a snarl. 

“That’s it, I'm done with you,” he spits out extending his arm. “You and your filth don’t deserve family.”  
  
He stood at his full height as the burns continued to spread a grimoire now appearing beside him. A shard of its cover black like soot and glowed red not too differently from my own.  
  
“Time to die.” He says viciously.  
  
Before I knew what was happening my body was in motion, hurtling through the air my sword brought up to block my body, fling myself between them.  
  
He still hadn’t noticed me.  
  
“Now burn. Explosion magic: Hero’s Pyhr.”  
  
From his hand shot a blast that shook the clearing. My ears popped as I landed in front of him. The flames licked around the edge of my sword. But whatever force powered my sword held out and the flames could not touch us.  
  
“What? Who are-? Where did you come from!” He shouted confused as he green harried boy swivelled around with wide eyes looking at the other boy that lay very still in the middle of the clearing. Reassured the shock quickly turned to anger as he grit his teeth and turned back.  
  
He raised his hand as if to cast again but paused as he saw my uniform. “Wait, you're not diamond kingdom.”

The moment was apparently all the other man needed. “Thanks kid. I owe you one,'' he muttered from behind me and when I turned. As the other boy screen no the man was gone, evaporating in smoke.  
  
Even as I watch the wisps curl into the wind and dissipate trying to make sense of what was happening. I heard the boy snarl again behind me and that prickly sensation returned.  
  
“You. You let him get away. You let that m]bastard get away after everything he did.” He snarled and small blasts left his hands as the burns covered him more. “I’ll never forgive you. Never. You piece of shit. It's all because of you they will find us and take us back. I HATE YOU!” He screamed and and brought both hands forward in a blast that shook the area. 

On instinct I slash up with the broad side of my sword and batted the blast into the air.” 

“Look I'm sorry. I don’t know what's going on. I’m Asta, a magic knight from the clover kingdom but you have to stop. He wasn't supposed to escape, but I couldn't let you kill him. Even now you're hurting yourself you need to stop. “

“What are you talking about? I feel fine. Never better until you came along and let that bastard get away. It’s all your fault.” He shot another blast which I sliced through again though it was wide enough to singe me a bit.  
  


“I swear to you I don't know what's going on. All I know is you and your friend are hurt and I'm trying to help you. But I couldn't let you kill that man. I needed to get information out of him. I didn’t think I could get away.”

He looked down on me with such disdain as the areas already burneds started to singe even more and the sickening smell of burned flesh diffused into the air.  
  
“Like I would believe anything you would have to say to your freak. Maybe you'll be more entertaining for me.” He said, smirking again face splitting into a manic grin. “After all it seems you can actually stand up to my magic. I hate that. I hate it so much it hurts. You’ve got to pay for what you did. You have to.”

He leveled his hands at me again but this time I was ready for him. As he launched his spell I jumped back against the tree with the tree before launching myself upward. I put as much strength into my legs as I could manage hoping it would be enough. The boy had floated much closer, clearly not as wary of me since I was wielding a sword which was the advantage I needed.  
  


Crossing the distance through the air in a blink I brought down my sword with the flat side across his body like a club staring at his shoulder. I took in his shocked expression and he tried to bring up his arms in defense only to get slammed to the ground with a puff of dust.  
  
I heard the sickening crack of his bones breaking as his body impacted the ground and my heart lurched. I hadn’t meant to hurt him worse than he already was. I landed in a squat next to where he impacted the ground. He laid there looking up to the darkening sky eyes still scowling about half lidded breathing heavy.  
  
“What… are you?” He muttered as I knelt next to him. 

“Don’t worry hello is on the way just hold on. I'll get you and your friend to safety. “  
  
“I'll get even. You hear me? Next time… I'm out… I'm coming for you… Asta.” He breathed heavily one last time before he slumped and the prickly feeling vanished. 

I panicked for a moment that he had died when I saw his chest start to rise and fall just a bit. Even if he was alive I knew he was in terrible shape. I didn't want to move him yet but I didn't have much choice either. I carefully cradled his vibrant green curls against my neck as I picked up his broken form. Trying my best to be mindful of all of the wounds but there were just so many.  
  
His body was so light compared to what i expected given his muscular form. “Don’t worry. I’m going to save you. I promise.” I said as I slowly and carefully started walking to the other down boy. I needed to get them out of there as fast as possible.

“Oi kid what part of take it easy did you not understand.” I heard as a vice grip snapped onto my skull. ‘Oh crap.’

“C-captain Y-yami. T-thank goodness you're here. I swear I was but this was important and I needed to - ow ow ow ow ow” I stated to explain as I turned in his grip before he started squeezing to break my skull. 

The hulking man that commanded my squad of magic knights stood there with a cigarette in his mouth and a glare that promised pain in front of a silvery portal.  
  
“More important than more order huh we’ll see about that kid you best remember my word is law or I’ll kill you.” He said in his bored aggressive tone that held no real bite to it but I agreed all the same. He released me before taking another grag of his cigarette and sighing. “Well kid looks like your strangeness lucked you out of another impossible challenged.” 

I blinked clearly confused. “Uhhh what do you mean captain?” 

“That was releasing more magic power per second than I have in my whole body. You could feel it all the way from the capital. It's a wonder he’s still alive just from the magic drain alone, forget the state his actual body is in.” He grunted as he inspected the boy in my arms. I tightened them reflexively though at the time I didn't notice. The movement did not escape the captain though. 

“Now don’t be getting all defensive kid, I'm not going to hurt the guy anymore than he already is. But I'm not sure he or his friend are going to make it if we don;t get them help soon.” He leans back to stand at his full height before walking over to the other boy picking him up and throwing him over his shoulder. “Not that it matters all that much to me. They aren’t my problem. Hell they aren’t even from our country but the Wizard King has ordered they be brought in alive to get a better understanding of why a small army of diamond troops rushed so close to the border suddenly.”

“The Wizard King!” I shout in surprise and excitement, completely forgetting for the moment that I was caring for someone that was gravely injured.

“Yeah the Wizard King. And you're coming with me to meet him.” 

“I am! I shouted again in shock and excitement before panicking, “But I'm not prepared should i be more presentable’

“Look kid this isn't a social call. You’re only coming because by some twist of fate you are the only person that we can safely say can contain that boy if he wakes up. His raw magic is just too oppressive and if he loses control or releases it in the capital alot of people could get hurt. So quit your gawking and do your damn job. And hurry up this guys heavy.” 

I deadpanned at the man that didn't so much as twitch carrying the extra weight. As we made ourselves over to a collapse and twitching finrel.

“Yo wheels what are you doing I got places to be. I’ll kill you if you don’t get up right now and get us out of here.” 

Senpai groaned as he stood, “Captain Yami it's not exactly easy crossing such distances like. This is literally half a country distance.” 

A glare from the captain however was enough for the playboy magic knight to bolt upright and open a portal to the capital. 

Just as we were about to cross the barrier the captain paused and looked up to the treeline of the clearing the blast had created and starred passively for a moment. 

“Uh captain Yami, aren't we in a hurry I think Finral-senpai is going to pass out any second.” 

The captain just grunted and strode into the silvery mist and was gone. I followed suit with grim determination. My mind kept going back to the manic looking in his eye. The promise he uttered , “I’ll get even. You hear me? Next time… I’m out… I'm coming for you… Asta.”  
  
‘What did he mean? I wonder.’ I thought as I stepped through with an exhausted Finrel. Neither of us noticed a shadowy form from along the tree line dash into the darkness of the woods on the other side of the clearing into the clover kingdom.  
  
xXx

  
  



End file.
